With the discovery of invasive zebra mussels in Central Texas' Belton Lake, experts are now worried that the destructive bivalve's spread will create long-term logistical and ecological complications for the state's reservoirs and drinking water.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department last week confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Belton Lake, nearly 200 miles south of other lakes known to contain the species. Zebra mussels were first identified in Texas in 2009, but the Belton Lake discovery marks the first confirmation of the species in the Brazos River basin. Unlike most native mussel populations, zebra mussels can ...

Comment Policy

The Texas Tribune is pleased to provide the opportunity for you to share
your observations about this story. We encourage lively debate on the issues
of the day, but we ask that you refrain from using profanity or other
offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting
advertising, or wandering away from the topic at hand. To comment, you must
be a registered user of the Tribune, and your user name will be displayed.
Thanks for taking time to offer your thoughts.

Comments (7)

Given that Republican legislators in Texas can't even get it up to acknowledge climate change, do you seriously think they'll do anything about invasive species when the GOP candidate for Governor, Mr. Abbott, brags about suing the EPA and Ted Cruz enjoys being an anarchist who loves to shut down the US government?

If any environmental story has been over played to the point it looks like a con it's the zebra mussel.

Beyond the need for larger water intake pipes, only good things have happened as a result of their presence and NOTHING BAD scientifically documented as harmful has been caused by these creatures.

People are still fishing in the Great lakes, and enjoying cleaner water than they have had in over a century thanks to these water vacuum cleaners.

Recently, Lake Erie, once declared so polluted it was "dead' experienced historica levels of water clarity.

The result was the return of native fresh water lake grasses and plants that were thought extinct.

Everyone in the Great Lakes is drinking cleaner water thanks to these things.

The "harm" beyond the pipes is strictly assumptive.

If deadly blue green algae blooms were truly a threat we'd have seen a few by now in the decades since these little beasts made the great lakes their home away from great Mother Russia their original home.

Yes they've been in the Great Lake for decades and so far nothing truly harmful can be scientifically documented as a result of these things.

No native animal has gone extinct. At worse some are less common, but it's not like if they'd be better off in the Great lakes as polluted as they were before they came.

Soon I imagine we'll be hearing about the quagga mussel which is just a larger zebra mussel with more vacuuming power.

I imagine they'll clean the water of the lake like they've done elsewhere, and maybe I'll even see an end to the aquarium water taste of the Lake Water we have now thanks to them.